Libyan Constitutional Assembly election, 2014

On February 20, 2014, the Constituent Assembly was elected in Libya.

In July 2012, the election of the General National Congress already took place - a transitional parliament, which was determined for 18 months. This should organize for February elections to the Constituent Assembly, according to the drafting of a constitution parliamentary elections will follow. In early February, however, the interim parliament passed an unpopular popularly decision to extend his term through December.

Boycott announcement of ethnic minorities

The National Assembly of the Tebu and the Commonwealth of the Amazigh ( Berber ) have announced to boycott the election, although 14 Tebu applicants are registered as candidates.

Coup attempt

A day before the election to the Constituent Assembly wanted revolutionaries force the transitional parliament to dissolve. Two former Revolution Brigades have called on the interim parliament to dissolve. Otherwise, they would take MPs hostage, it said in a statement picked on television. Prime Minister Ali Seidan found a compromise with the controversial " revolutionaries ". They were willing to give the Members an additional 72 hours. The head of state, President of the Parliament Nuri Busahmein, warned of a " coup against the legitimate institutions of the country. " The army promised to defend the Parliament.

Modalities

To the 60 seats in the Constituent Assembly who applied about 650 candidates. Women, the three historic regions of Libya ( Cyrenaica, Fezzan, Tripolitania ) and ethnic minorities should be adequately represented on quotas. However Berber representatives announced a boycott of the election because she did not feel with two seats provided sufficiently represented.

The Italian Libya connoisseur Claudia Gazzini sees in the debates on the future development of a trend. There is increasing pressure to take the Constitution from the time before Muammar Gaddafi as the basis for a new legal order. At that time the Kingdom of Libya was under King Idris. Behind this trend is Gazzini According to the view of many Libyans that if you already can not agree on how a new Libya to be that one could simply return to pre- 1969 Constitution.

Result

Even before the election, the voters had to be registered in order to be eligible for election. This did 1.1 million of the 3.3 million eligible voters. At the election itself but only almost half a million Libyans involved. Many boycotted the election or stayed away from her for fear of militias and Islamists. The official turnout was thus 45 %, although only 15% of eligible voters participated.